Chapter 8:
A five-weel-old Shadow smiled, crimson eyes watching the tube-like structure in front of him. He had woken early that morning, filled to the brim with excitement and bugged Maria until she too was dragged into the world of wakefulness and forcefully brought into the lab. He couldn't wait for the completion of his baby brother; the only one who could match him in speed, stamina and Chaos usage. Gerald had told him that his brother was special and created especially to be his eternal equal and companion in this mortal plane.
At first, he was wary of having a sibling. He was unsure whether the attention would shift onto the unexpecting young lifeform, resulting in the scientists experimenting on him. He couldn't bare for another lifeform to be put under the same torture he experiences every day. It was an unnecessary evil. He, alone, was capable of fulfilling the task set our to cure Maria, but quickly warmed up to the idea, especially after Maria had claimed his brother was a gift from the scientists on space colony ark as an apology for the pains of his past. The idea of having someone to care for and look after, especially after Maria and Gerald had withered away from the hands of time, was too good to be true. It gave him purpose, something to strive through.
According to Gerald, his brother was created to help stabilise his powers to prevent him from losing control of himself and dooming the world. He became afraid, for once, questioning his abilities and the usage of his inhibitor rings. As useful as they are keeping in his Choas Energy, it was unable to replenish it. His brother was created to correct this, using his natural ability in soaking up the Chaos Energy around him.
Maria revealed that he would be released from the pod early on a two-week experiment in how the learnt from an infant standpoint. Not preinstalling anything was a tricky move, but there were endless possibilities in what to teach him. Gerald was secretive when they asked him why, which made the pair suspicious of his true intentions.
With this knowledge, his obsession grew, wanting to know every detail of his new sibling's creation. Unfortunately, they weren't allowed to be apart of the process, which made them what to investigate. They never found much but they would always find a young human, possibly in his early twenties lurking about the lab. Even to this day, they had no idea what he looked like or who he was, but the only thing Shadow could remember that he had a thing for turtle necks and disliked him for some reason. He figured that was the reason that Gerald didn't want him around during that time.
There were many problems extracting him from the 'birthing tube.' The infant stopped breathing many times, crying out when handled as if he were in pain. His eyes switched rapidly between red and green irises and he would stare off in the distance. Upon learning of the creations poor health, Gerald had ushered them out of the lab, leaving the children worried for the young one's life.
Late that night, they snuck out of their shared room and went to see him. He looked tiny, almost doll-like, laying there in a toy crib of Maria's, alone and in the dark. His heart burst with emotions as he stepped closer, wondering why he was abandoned by their creator, left to fend for himself.
Shadow couldn't stop himself from picking him up, making sure to support the head after prompting from his sister, and instantly fell in love with his blue fur and large emerald eyes. Right there, he had promised to protect him from anything and everyone who would use or abuse them. It didn't matter who, he would take care of this innocent life who was so small and defenceless against.
The sound of footsteps brought his attention. He turned, ready to ask why Gerald had abandoned the newborn when he felt a knife pressed against his throat.
_______________________
Red eyes snapped open, his memory failing to finish the scene. He always presumed it was that guy who was there during his brother's creation who held the GUN. He presumed all three of them came out fine, mainly because the GUN raid didn't occur until three weeks after. He had pondered over the memory countless times with little success. He knew the humans had done something to his memory, something he could never forgive, but he never knew why or what had been taken. It made him angry his past was so muddled, that his memories of Maria had been trained by the very people who killed her.
A movement in the corner of his eye made him turn his head to a shadow looming over him, it's hand hovering over his wrist. Before the finger could react, he sprang sidewards, tackling the figure to the floor and pinning them down as best as he could. A growl escaped his lips.
"Woah, calm down," a feminine voice breathed out as the intruder struggled beneath him. His gaze settled on a pale-furred-face, red lips and eyelashes. "Geeze, you're really strong," she muttered after noticing her efforts were fruitless. His eyes bore into her soul, making her gulp.
He stared, confused as to how she got into her his new cell, and how she... No way, this couldn't be... But, she was... she was just like them! But how? Did that mean there was more of them, just like the red guy and that fox kit? He must know.
"Who are you? How did you get in here? Are you another creation, like me? Who are the red guy and that fox kit? What business do they have with my brother? Where have they taken him? Did they manage to escape the humans? What's their goal? Why am I here and why hasn't he tried to kill me yet? I demand to know. Tell me!"
Ever since he woke up in this cell, he had been going out of his mind with worry. His brother was taken by two apomorphic that shouldn't exist, he was trapped in a madman's lab and couldn't find a way to break out. No, he was trapped with no news on his brother's condition, no information on who they were and what they wanted. Who they worked for. Was he hurt? Are they doing worse things to him than GUN? Where did they take him? By now, they could be on the other side of this world and he wouldn't know where to look!
He wanted... no, needed answers. And he needed them now!
"Red guy...? Creation? What?!" Confusion struck her and she went still, waiting for an answer. The words had tumbled out of his mouth, too fast for her to comprehend and her head was still spinning from being slammed into the ground so hard.
"Answer me!" He demanded again, squeezing her wrist a bit harder to see if she would talk. His fangs were bared, trying to intimidate her even more. The female just stared, going lax in his grip. Having read his file, she was almost certain he would snap her neck should he pissed her off, so making herself seem as most obedient as possible was the best way to calm the enigma.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, but if you want to talk in a civilised manner, maybe I can shed some light on the situation," she posed, hoping he would take the bait. Before coming in here, she was warned to be calm, level headed and always truthful in her answers by the doctor. Apparently, Shadow only valued honest and it got ugly when he was deceived. She had been warned to be vague with her answers, only giving enough to satisfy his curiosity.
Eggman said that it was like playing chess or cards. Your opponent had to take the lead, but you pulled all the strings. She loved the thrill of being in tricky situations such as this, despite the echidna's and fox boy's worries; it always gave her the thrill. The uncertainty and danger was something she couldn't get enough of.
She could tell he was hesitant to comply with her indirect command but looked intrigued none-the-less. Wondering if he was wasting his time or not, he let her go and leapt backwards, putting as much distance as possible between the two. "Don't try any funny business, otherwise, next time, it'll be the neck," he warned with an edge to his voice.
As soon as he let go, she scooted backwards before pushing herself elegantly to her feet. His gaze was intense, watching her warily with a look of suspicion. Taking a deep breath, she finally spoke. "You first. A question for a question; seems like a fair trade to me. The information doesn't come cheap, hun. It can be so valuable in the right hands, after all..." She started, crossing her arms in an authoritative stance.
Shadow was taken back for a moment before smirking. She was playing a dangerous game; he kind of liked it. It didn't matter if she was toying with him; he had no qualms in dishing out punishment for every deceit he received. "Who are you?" He decided to ask, wanting to get the pleasantries out of the way. An easy started off to lead her into a false sense of security.
From what he had witnessed, others were more willing to talk should they know another's name. If he could figure out who she was and where she came from, he could figure out if she was natural-born or an experiment. The evidence seemed to lean towards the second option, but if there was a secrete colony of his 'species' out there, he could use it as a backup place to hide should GUN come looking.
At this, she seemed to straighten, a smirk working its way onto her lips. "Rogue the Bat, at your service, oh great Ultimate Lifeform: Shadow," she introduced with a mock curtsy. Her wings stretched out behind her, showing them off. "To be fair, I thought you would be taller, but I wonder if you are big where it matters...?"
He raised an eyebrow, half-amused by her response, half-annoyed. Damn. What does the last statement even mean? Shaking himself mentally, his mind quickly going through the various questions he could ask next. She knew his name; what else did she know? That means she was a question or more ahead, while he was starting at square one.
Unfortunately, he had used up his question and it was Rogue's turn. "Oh, looks like it's my turn. Now, let me think..." Her arm came up as a manicured nail tapped her cheek gently. She could tell Shadow wasn't dumb, but he lacked experience and knowledge of Mobians and the doctor had every intention of exploiting for their benefit. The feelings of guilt surfaced in her gut, but she chose to ignore it. She couldn't divert his plan so early on without him getting suspicious, but, maybe...
Without warning, the communicator in her ear burst to life. "Remember our deal. Get information on the brother and I'll give you supplies, including the parts the fox boy needs to get his plane running again," the doctor's voice filtered through, and she held back a retort. She eyed the camera out of the corner of her eye. Damn, she forgot that Eggman was watching them. It was a shame that she needed to come back with more supplies than usual to explain her absence. He had backed her into a corner, summoning her here.
Shadow's ear twitched and he followed her snapped gaze. He turned his head back to glare at her, fists tightening. He had to be careful. Anything he said would be kept as evidence, but he did have to let something slip if he wanted answers from her. This was bad.
Very bad.
"I have three. They kind in one go, so I am going to answer one of your earlier questions. The 'red guy', as you so equivalently dubbed him, is Knuckles the Echidna. His hideout is unknown to us, but he's been a thorn in my side for a while now. And I have no idea who your brother is and what they want with him." She started, feeling smug. She had answered without providing any extra information. With Eggman watching, she couldn't say more about them being allies and she wasn't sure to trust Shadow yet with the location. Although it did intrigue her as to what they were doing with this so-called 'brother.' Hell, she wanted to know who he was.
Another experiment?
Possibly, but it could be someone he saw as a brother?
Ugh, she was so curious.
"Okay, my time, big guy. First, what does he look like? What's GUN's objective with him? And what's his name?"
A grimace settled on Shadow's muzzle as he pursed his lips. Two of those he didn't even know himself! Her eyes narrowed, hands on her hip as she stared him down expectedly. She wanted those answers. And, admittedly, he secretly did too.
"My brother was extremely unfortunate. He has many titles, but, I'm afraid, he wasn't named," he started, unsurely. His tone was bitter, hands clenching into fists, hard enough his claws dug in and drew blood. "The power source. Subject. Project: Choas. Those are the ones that stuck. GUN had forbidden his right to his own designation, twisting it to fit his situation or use to them. They locked him away, restrained him to a table and sucked the very essence out of him. And, for what? Just so they can "
He was shaking now in pure rage and suppressed anguish. He was rambling, a stream of words flowing from him like a waterful that was impossible to stop. It was the first time anyone had listened, anyone who cared enough to ask. He had always bottled up his emotions, leaving them to stew and bubble in his chest for the next time he saw that bastard that called himself their Commander.
Those human's had taken everything from them...
And they deserved to pay!
He was about to take a step forward, to bust out of this cage and hunt every last GUN agent when something crashed into him. Arms snacked around his shaking shoulders and he was engulfed with warmth. The force caused him to stumble back, his thoughts dissipating into a confusing mess. The embrace felt warm... safe. Like, despite everything that happened, he could finally break down without judgement or regret.
At that moment, it didn't matter who she was or who she worked for. What she had done and what she hadn't. The gesture was enough to say that she cared. He felt himself slowly relax, turning his head into her shoulder.
And for the first time in forty years, he allowed himself to relax into the touch.
He was so tired of this...
___________________________
Green eyes stared at the massive coat sleeve hanging over his paw with a frown. He looked up to the Echidna, who was close to snickering. "Come on, it's not that bad. We had to get to cover up those quills of yours," he stated with an amused smirk. The echidna was now wearing a long brown detective coat and matching hat to cover his red figure from any future prying eyes while Blue was donned in a blue and white dress and a red raincoat.
According to the echidna, there were supplies for a human girl in one of the rooms on the lower levels of the base and the rest was adult-sized. The dress and overcoat were a little too big for him, but not by much that rolling his sleeves up and shortening the straps wouldn't fix. They dress was even long enough to come down to his ankles to hide his blue legs.
Suddenly, the Echidna straightened. "Let's go. Time is getting on," he stated seriously. Blue followed his gaze to glance at the clock. He had never been able to tell the time, so he would have to take other's word for it. Before now, time was just a concept he had never been interested in. Not when every single minute of every single day was almost the same. He was glad to not be in so much pain though. There was so much to see that now there seemed to be no time at all.
Without warning, he was hauled on to his the stranger's back before the said individual started to claim the ladder. He held on tight, looking down at the ground and threw one last look over at the yellow fox. His eyes lowered, wondering why they were only going when it had been the three of them last time, but knew he wouldn't get an answer.
As they reached the top, he was again greeted with forest-like terrain and his ears perked up. He had spent too long watching the small animals scurrying about in his glass cage and hearing the rivers and the artificial wind that he longed to experience the scenery up close. To interact with the animals, to feel the wind through his quills, to smell the river that followed freely. It was like he was living a dream; allowing that longing to become a reality. Shadow had always told him what the outside felt like. His descriptions and senses became his own, shared over the time the evil man had let them unite for a couple of hours.
He was told stories of the human's and how they would decimate the landscape, building unnecessary structures for their amusement and steal the world's natural resources. The thought scared him. How much they were polluting this world, risking the lives of animals and plant life for their own gain. What happened to all the animals who lived there? Soon, there will be nothing left for them to scavage. To use. Human's were selfish, bad creatures who only thought of themselves.
It was a shame. Surely co-existence was reachable? If such habitats like this existed, the human's couldn't be all bad, right? Unfortunately, he lacked the experience or knowledge to know. There must be some good humans out there, right? It was just a matter of finding them? Then, maybe, they wouldn't have to hide in fear and the pain and suffering wouldn't have to return. They had done what they asked, for all those years, so wasn't it time something good to happen?
Shadow had told him that the world was full of light and darkness. That one couldn't exist without the others. If they had lived in darkness, was Knuckles and Tails there to show them the light? The thought made him giddy with excitement.
If this was true, he couldn't wait to see what the future held!
___________________________
Knuckles had been walking for twenty minutes until they
reached the city. Blue had started dozing off, bored with the lack of things to do, and was drooling against his shoulder. He made sure the hedgehog's hood was up before moving forward, knowing if they were to be spotted would put them in danger. They had already tracked closer to GUN and had run into one of their agents.
Fortunately, they were near a hiking trail and claimed to have gotten lost. The oblivious agent had redirected them to a trail that would allow them to get into the city and Knuckles thanked them with a squeaky voice. He never felt so much tension in his life, apart from yesterday when they nearly got caught in the bushes. Something about GUN made him want to run and hide. There was something wrong with humans. Something sinister about that human organisation he couldn't put his finger on.
With a sigh to calm his nerves, he ascended down the hill and onto the streets of Station Square.
__________________________________
"Anything you don't want him to hear, tell me now," she whispered in his ear, making sure the camera wouldn't pick it up. "I don't work for him; he's just an acquaintance, but I have experience with Knuckles and the kit and want to help you. For that, I need you to trust me. Help me get the Chaos Emeralds so we can go back home, and I'll help you find your brother..."
She trailed off as Shadow stiffened in her arms. It was a risky move, but it might just work. If he was desperate enough, she may be able to make him an ally for know. With that power and strength he holds, they can be an unstoppable force. That's if, they can fool the doctor...
Shadow's brain was going through all the pros and cons. He cursed, knowing he was at a disadvantage. She held all the answers and the freedom, while he was stuck in the cage. He needed to find his brother, but he had no leads and no target to Chaos Blast. Escape was impossible with no Chaos Emerald and his own reverse almost spent. He could see two dangling in a box high above the dome, taunting him. It provided just enough energy for him to move, but no Chaos Control.
He sighed. As much as he hated to depend on others, he couldn't do this alone. But, the second he was betrayed, he would show no mercy. He would give the bat the benefit of the doubt, for now, but that didn't mean he was going to let his guard down. With great reluctance, he spoke. "It's a deal. But fail me, Bat, and I'll crush you," he agreed and the two flew apart, her with a slight gasp of surprise.
Suddenly, the dome retracted, sinking into the floor and the Chaos Emeralds released, each falling to each occupant. Shadow smirked and caught it, happy to have it back in his possession. Finally, he would be able to use his abilities once he was strong enough again. On the other side, Rogue gave it an adoring look and slipped it into the holster on his hip.
"Excellent," the doctor praise from his position by the open door. He was currently sitting in an egg-shaped hovercraft. Rogue gaped at him, knowing the man was listening in, but he didn't seem angry. In fact, he was beaming. Well, he did say 'any means necessary.' "Follow me. There's something I need to show you."
TBC:
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